Threefold
by Lady of Ithilien
Summary: Karma finally catches up to Miroku, in the form of his three lovely daughters. A light-hearted look at Miroku as a family man.


There are many people who believe in something called the Threefold Law: "Whatever you do, for good or ill, will come back to you threefold." Makes me wonder if Karma has any surprises in store for our favorite lecherous monk. Heheheh.

Disclaimer: I don't own the sandbox, I just like to play around in it.

**Threefold**

Even after Naraku's defeat, Miroku was cursed. But unlike the Kazaana, this was a curse of his own making.

He had always had a sneaking, miniscule suspicion that his womanizing would someday come back to haunt him. And indeed it had on occasion – in the form of a lonely, desperate village girl met again by chance during his companions' search for Shikon shards. But those encounters had been few and far between, and in the years following Naraku's demise, Miroku finally thought himself free to be with the woman he loved, to settle down and to live without worry.

And then, without warning, the tranquility he had worked so hard for was shattered: when his three little daughters transformed into beautiful young women.

At first, he had thought himself blessed by having daughters – his later experiences with raising his only son taught him that girls were much easier to deal with than boys. They were his prized possessions, far more valuable to him than any Shikon shard had ever been. He could spend hours at a time watching them talk, or play, or sleep. Sango had realized early on that his heart no longer belonged to her completely, though she didn't seem too troubled by the fact.

Miroku was continually stunned by how much of his wife he saw in their children, especially their firstborn. But their second born surprised him the most, for she had obtained all the good aspects of her father's appearance and disposition, and looking at her face was like looking at a feminine version of himself. The youngest mostly resembled Sango, though her eyes were Miroku's. They were all unique, and he loved each of them from the moment he first looked upon them.

If only he had known what a source of anguish these three perfect creatures would be to him.

The first signs of trouble appeared when Sachiko, his eldest, was only nine years old. She had been playing with some of the boys in the village while her father watched from several paces away. At one point, a boy a year older than Sachiko began to chase her. Miroku had seen similar occurrences before, so this did not bother him. He was quite taken aback, however, by the boy's actions upon catching Sachiko. He'd snatched her up and pressed his lips firmly against her cheek as she squealed in protest.

When the boy had set her down, Sachiko had shoved him playfully and dashed off as though nothing unusual had occurred. But Miroku stood dumbfounded for several minutes afterwards, when all at once a wave of angry possessiveness swept through him.

_His _daughter! That boy had _dared_ to kiss _his_ daughter!

Sango, much to Miroku's annoyance, had laughed herself almost to tears when he had recounted the tale to her that evening. She could not comprehend why he had gotten so worked up over a child's innocent jest.

Indeed, Miroku would later agree that such childhood pranks were blissfully tame when compared to what would come.

By the time Sachiko passed her fourteenth birthday, Miroku could conclude that the situation was dire. Her body was beginning to fill out in all the proper places, her face was lovelier than ever, and the village boys had grown bold in a chase far different than the ones they had engaged in as children. Miroku decided that the safest course of action was to travel with her as often as he could; but he discovered that while his presence assured that no physical mischief was possible, it could do nothing to stop the young men's roaming eyes.

Besides that, Hoshiko soon caught up with her sister, and there was no way Miroku could guard both of them all the time.

As the years went by and Midori also began to attract those unwelcome gazes, Miroku became nearly frantic. What made matters worse was that no one seemed to understand his plight; Sango thought he was being paranoid, and Inuyasha – while wearing that insufferable smirk – had told him point-blank that he was getting what he deserved. Shippou was content to simply watch with amusement as Miroku interrogated every boy who came to "call after" one of the girls.

As for the girls themselves, Hoshiko thought their father's behavior was endearing, and Midori found it amusing. Only Sachiko became truly irritated by it, especially after she met a rather handsome young man from a nearby village.

Miroku was no fool. It became clear to him, when he saw Sachiko standing next to her hopeful suitor, the couple's pleading eyes intent on his, that he was fighting a losing battle. It was not that he was incapable of refusing the young man's request for Sachiko's hand – it was that he did not want to see his daughter with a broken heart.

And so he found himself watching as his firstborn child was given away to some handsome sweet-talker who was in no way deserving of such a beautiful young woman.

"Houshi-sama," murmured a gentle voice at his side, using that old term that even marriage had not felt the need to completely eradicate. "Remember that this is a joyous occasion."

"I really am getting what I deserve, aren't I?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

He closed his eyes while something resembling a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. "That fate would be so cruel as to give me three gorgeous daughters to worry after. Had I known what was in store, I would have never laid eyes or hands upon any maiden, no matter how lovely."

Sango sounded as though she was repressing a laugh. "What a tragic life you lead, my poor husband."

Miroku's sullen expression gave way to one of tired resignation, and he sighed wistfully in response.

"She is still your daughter," Sango reminded him, "and she always will be. She is just going to be someone's wife as well. Loving someone else won't change the fact that she also loves her father."

"Ahh, Sango," he said fondly, laying his head on her shoulder. "Your wisdom never ceases to amaze me! I truly am unworthy of you."

"Yes, yes," she agreed with a sigh as he patted her bottom affectionately.


End file.
